The Time to Say Goodbye
by Detective's Heart
Summary: The closest one to Naoto has just passed and she's not dealing with it all too well. Who will be the one to break her now fragile façade and be the one to make her realise that she's not alone, and never has been.


Naoto wandered down the streets of Inaba, utterly alone. Every time someone would speak she would block them out so she wouldn't have to respond or hear what they had to say. It all happened so suddenly. One moment he was there and next, he was gone. Just like that. She'd never felt so alone in her life. Never...

Now she wandered round the town towards the school she attended with a calm face. She was still a proffesional when it came to hiding emotions. Not as well as a silver haired teen but still skilled in the art. Everyday was the same now. She'd get up, go to school, visit the cemetary, go home, try to sleep and all while ignoring all but Yakushiji. She spoke to the others. Her friends as it were, but she would only say that she had somewhere else to be and swiftly leave the area.

They didn't know. They shouldn't know. They couldn't know. If they did, they would probably baby her. Try to make her feel better and to attempt to take her mind of things. A lost cause... They should know by now that no matter what they did they could never help her through this. At least that's what she would always believe.

"Hey, Naoto-kun. What's up?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing Rise-san. Just a little stressed at the moment. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be else where." She replied bluntly. It was the same response each and every time the idol would try to find out what was wrong. Forcing a smile she nodded farewell before leaving the auburn haired teen alone. She was far too persistant. This would happen each and every day she showed up for school.

Every lunch time she would just sit on the rooftop gazing out over the horizon, hoping that this was all just a dream. Trying to keep her mind of things she'd focus on things like her assignments she had been given that day, but that was a rather short term solution. Her detective work wasn't too great had very little to do as detective work always reminded her of...

This was stupid. Why was she so clingy? Why was she still clinging to his memory? She knew why. She'd inwardly swear everytime her inner shadow brought it up in the back of her mind. That trater. They were one and the same so why is it just causing more grieve for her? Stupid...

"Hello, again. I'm back. Like I said I would be. How is you and the others? I hope you are all well. Me and Yakushiji-san are missing you dearly. He says he's going to stay with me. To make sure I still have a place to live, not like that was ever a problem. Is... mom and dad with you? I... bet they are..." Now she knealt infront of his grave talking to thin air like usual. Her voice shook as she took a small object from her pocket. A blue tulip.

"I remember, how much you used to love tulips. They were always your favourite weren't they? You always said they were my moms favourite as well." She vigerously shook her head to clear her thoughts and to stop the warm liquid from reaching her eyes. Placing the flower in front of the gravestone she sighed shakily. Biting her lip as punishment for being so fragile, she was instantly reminded of the many times she'd done this since the day it happened. Her lip was now practically an unhealing wound from when she'd accidentally drawn blood. This happened often as well...

Wiping the blood from her lip with her sleeve again she shook her head again before speaking once more. "The others are wondering whats wrong. Honestly, if they saw this they'd try to make things better as if I were a child. Tch. I am no child. After all, I have no time for them. They'd make things harder for me. But... I suppose if I loose them I would have nothing left..." She paused thinking this over. "Perhaps that gives me more reason to make sure they don't get too close. If I allowed that then all that can follow is more of this. But then thats life. A cruel truth that nobody wants. Thats why death is a wonderful lie." She shook her head again, but this time in disagreement with herself. "No. That's not right is it? After all we went through for the truth and here I am wishing it was a lie. Tch. How childish."

Calmly closing her eyes she listened to the breeze as it brushed her face behind her cap. It was then that she remembered. "Oh, I still have it. Don't worry. I'm not going to forget the past just like that. I'm not going to make that mistake again." She gently pulled a golden skeleton key from its hiding place beneath her shirt as she opened her eyes once more. The key dangled loosely from a silver chain, round her neck, that shimmered in the setting sunlight. She'd been here a while... A bit too long...

"I'll never forget this. You have my word. But then again I did say that yesterday... Didn't I?" She sighed. "I guess I'm just... Or maybe It's just... Oh I don't know..." She shook her head in disapointment, apparently failing to notice the presence that had been stood behind her for a good while now.

"I suppose I just don't understand... why you... why you left me... Alone." Her voice shook again, as she did the same with her head. Once again she dug her teeth into her lip to cease the tears that built up behind her eyes. "I'm not alone though... am I? I have Yakushiji-san... and the others... Ugh! What am I talking about? I don't need them do I? Just leads to more of this... nonsense." She snarled spitfully in a hushed tone. Once again she failed to notice that the presence that had previously been approaching her stopped dead in its tracks. "Yes. I've lived so long without them... I don't really need them... do I? But..." She shook her head hastily again.

"I can't live, knowing full well that I'll loose them to... I just... Can't..." Her voice shook violently this time threatening to destroy her strong facade. Her shoulders were know quivering. Digging her teeth into her lower lip once again she flinched as the blood flow increased once more. The presence began to close in once more.

"First Granma, then... mom and dad... Minato... and now you... Please tell me... Who's next? Me? I wouldn't mind... Perhaps... I could reunite with you all..." Her hand clung tightly to the key that held so many childhood memories before she shook her head and her shoulders quivered once more. "Heh... Bet Granma would _love_ that..." Her grandmother had never liked her. Apparently she was hoping she would be a boy, not a girl. She was like the rest of the world, really... Harsh and unfair. It was then that she noticed the presence who now knelt beside her. She turned her head slightly away from them knowing full well who it was. She didn't need to look at him. It was then she realised that those friends she no longer needed had probably been close enough to hear her this whole time and for some reason had refused to intervene.

"Naoto..." She didn't respond. He knelt beside her watching her with concern in his gaze. She didn't need to look at him to know that either. Ignoring him wouldn't work. All she could do was hope that things didn't turn against her in anyway. After all, she didn't need him anymore. She didn't need any of them anymore. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry, for what?" She wore a grim smile as she answered as brightly as she could force herself to seem.

"I'm sorry, for what has happened."

"I don't know what you mean." Her eyes were now closed as she still refused to even turn her head towards him.

"Naoto..." He gently took the hand that still gripped the key making her turn to face him. Her eyes betrayed nothing as they were stone cold and emotionless. "Your right... Life is a cruel truth. However, despite its harsh shell it still holds amazing things. You just have to know how to find it." She stared at him as if everything he'd just said had flown over her head.

"What... are you on about?" She mumbled dully.

"I think you know what. But, what would your Shadow say right now?"

"I wouldn't know. I can't hear it. Though I can guess it would probably be shouting something rather... inappropriate, at this moment." She turned away again. Inappropriate was one word for it at least...

"Why do you think that?"

"..." He sighed at her silence knowing full well why she refused to answer him. She knew why. She couldn't admit it though... Her Shadow suddenly yelled at her in the back of her mind, making her head throb in pain as it shouted as many things it could that she was apparently ignoring. Clutching her head in pain with one hand and clutching the key with the other she struggled to uphold her strong facade. Her now fragile soul began to suddenly shatter as the Shadow cried for her to stop pushing her only friends away and to accept the facts given to her. Easier said then done...

"What would _he_ say right now?" That was it. As he spoke those words her emotions over took her causing the damn to break and tears to cascade down her cheeks like waterfalls. He embraced her comfortingly and gently pushed his fingers threw her slightly matted hair, sending her cap to the ground. She clung to him as she sobbed for the one she'd lost. The only one that she believed, for years of her life, was all she lived for. Her desperate grip was all she could rely on to help her realise that he was always there for her. The silver haired teen always had been.

It was now she realised how much she really did need him. It was then she realised how much she did need her friends. It was then she realised how childish of her it was to believe that she didn't need them. After all, they were all she had left in this cruel truth, called life...

And it was then her consciousness slowly ebbed away into the most peaceful slumber she'd had in weeks. After all... She knew they were all still with her. And she knew they would help her through anything. Just like he once did...

_Goodbye..._

_Grampa..._

_Thank you..._


End file.
